UK Missile Defence Centre

The UK Missile Defence Centre (MDC) is the UK’s Centre of Excellence for Missile Defence.

It is part of Defence Science and Technology within the Ministry of Defence. It was established in 2003 as a government-industry partnership to understand the issues and opportunities relating to Ballistic Missile Defence (BMD). Since that time, its remit has expanded from traditional ballistic missile threats to include consideration of manoeuvring and hypersonic threats.

The activities of the MDC, supported by an underpinning research programme, ensure the provision of evidence to decision makers, collaboration on projects of mutual interest with international partners, and sustainment of elements of national expertise.

UK MDC Organisation

The UK MDC is separated into the following 6 themes:

  • Scenario Assessment and Wargaming – provides education on missile threats and defensive options and raises awareness of related issues within defence and also across government
  • Sensors and Architectures – conducts research into current and novel sensing methods
  • Threat Characterisation – explores how the threat is evolving and how it might evolve in the future
  • Threat Reduction and Lethality – focusses on the final few seconds of an interceptor engagement with a threat
  • Maritime BMD – explores opportunities for current and planned UK maritime capabilities to support BMD
  • Novel Technology – explores the application of novel and emerging technology to all aspects of missile defence

UK MDC Industry Partners

  • BAE Systems (lead Industry Representative)
  • L3Harris ASA
  • Lockheed Martin UK
  • MBDA
  • QinetiQ
  • Fluid Gravity Engineering
  • Airbus Defence and Space UK
  • Optima Systems Consultancy

Benefits of Industry Membership

The benefits of membership are:

  1. Increased awareness of MDC Strategy and Theme plans

  2. Increased understanding of MOD Policy and Strategy for missile defence – this helps partners to develop plans to establish capability and SQEP to support MOD aims

  3. Participation in briefings to senior leadership in DST and MOD, as well as in support of appropriate international visits

  4. Awareness of SQEP across the MDC supply chain, particularly amongst other partners

  5. Being part of a key relationship with UK government on issues of strategic relevance and visibility

  6. Catalyst for work – making the case for, and exploiting, internal funding and raising awareness of internal activities to MOD

Process for Joining

The process for joining the MDC as an Industry Partner is as follows:

1. A formal request (usually a letter outlining the request) is made to the MDC Director by the Missile Defence lead in the organisation seeking to join. Alternatively, the MDC Director might suggest such a letter is generated by way of inviting a company to join the partnership. The letter must set out the company’s reasons for wanting to join and specifically providing evidence against the criteria set out in step 2.

2. The MDC Director conducts an initial assessment based on the following criteria:

i. A UK company or operating as a distinct UK legal entity with UK-based capabilities/products/expertise/Suitably Qualified and Experienced Personnel (SQEP) relevant to defence against ballistic and advanced missile threats (referred to as Missile Defence hereafter)
ii. Currently active with a proven track record (over a period of at least 5 years) in delivering on Missile Defence topics/activities, this should include delivering research activities for the MDC
iii. Has capabilities/products/expertise/SQEP relevant to Missile Defence that has been sustained for a period of at least 5 years
iv. There is clear justification of how the proposed organisation would make an appreciable contribution to the MDC as a partner, including but not limited to the sharing of product and SQEP development plans, aligning internal investment, hosting annual State of the Nation events, co-sponsoring research degree/s, a willingness to provide candidates for secondment into the MDC, and engaging with MDC Theme Leads to develop research topics of mutual interest
v. A commitment to actively participate in quarterly Industry Working Group meetings

3. If the MDC Director is satisfied that the proposed organisation meets the eligibility criteria and would be a beneficial addition to the MDC, the proposed addition is made to the MDC Lead Industry Representative

4. The MDC Lead Industry Representative liaises with existing IWG members to gather views of existing partners

5. The MDC Director considers views from existing partners and forms a partnership panel comprising of the MDC Director, MDC Deputy Director, DST-Commissioning-Hd, and DST Senior Commercial Manager (who has the specific role of ensuring that this process is followed) to consider the request

6. The organisation requesting to join is made aware of the outcome (via a formal response to the formal request to join) and the justification for the decision

7. If successful, an addendum will be added to the MOU between MOD CSA and MDC Industry Partners detailing the date, organisation details, and the justification

Process for Leaving

The process for an existing partner to leave the partnership (assuming this is self-requested) is as follows:

  1. A proposal for removal is received from the industry partner that wants to leave along with a justification

  2. The MDC Director considers the justification and provides the industry partner with information that might cause reconsideration (if applicable)

  3. If the partner still wants to leave, the request is referred to the MDC Lead Industry Representative to consider any relevant industry aspects, the MDC Lead Industry Representative provides any relevant industry considerations to the partner wanting to leave

  4. Assuming the partner still wants to leave, IWG members will be formally notified

  5. An addendum will be added to MOD CSA and MDC Industry Partners MOU to reflect the date that the partner withdrew and the reasons

Annual Review of Membership

Reviews of existing partners will be undertaken as follows:

  1. On an annual basis, a standing agenda item will be added to the governance review meeting between the MDC Lead Industry Partner representative and DST-Commissioning-Hd. This agenda item will be a review of existing partners against the eligibility criteria listed at 2i to 2v in the ‘process for joining the partnership’.

  2. If any existing partners are found to be deficient against the requirements, they will be given a period of 6 months in which to demonstrate that they are meeting the requirements

  3. If after (or during) the 6-month period the deficient requirements have been demonstrated, then no further action is required

  4. If after the 6-month period has ended either no new information has been provided and/or there has been no change in the assessed status against the requirements, the partner will be removed from the partnership and the MOU will be amended (via an addendum) to that effect

Contact details

DST-ISR-MDCSupport@mod.gov.uk

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